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Orange County ยท Census-designated place

Roofing in University (Orange County), Florida

The median home in University was built in 1994, the same median as Orange County as a whole. Many of the original roofs on those homes are likely past 25 years old. That age matters for insurer inspections under Florida law. It also matters for how much roof the county will let you repair at one time.

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Updated October 2026

View from a roof ridge over dark gray architectural shingles toward the street, with two workers beside a black pickup and a gray roll-off container at the curb.

At a glance

University homes at a glance

People (2020 Census)
45,284
Median year homes were built
1994
Share of homes built before 1980
14.3%
Share of homes built 2010 or later
20.6%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
37.4%

Census figures; each one is listed in the sources at the end of this page.

Housing age

Home age and roof age in University

Only 14.3 percent of University homes were built before 1980, against 26.1 percent countywide. That is about 12 points fewer very old homes than the county as a whole. At the other end, 20.6 percent of homes here went up in 2010 or later.

Since the median build year is 1994, that suggests many original roofs are now 30 years old or close to it. Florida law gives you a route once a roof turns 15: Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5) lets you pay an authorized inspector to examine it, and your insurer must allow that. If the inspector finds 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone cannot be the reason for refusal or non-renewal.

Ask your insurance company or agent what your specific policy requires.

Who owns here

Mobile homes and renters in University

Mobile homes make up 7.1 percent of University housing units, more than double the 3.1 percent countywide. Single-family detached homes are 35.9 percent here, while the county figure is 54.1 percent. A mobile home roof follows the federal HUD code, not the Florida Building Code, so ask what standard applies before any work.

Owners occupy 37.4 percent of occupied homes. If you rent, your landlord decides on roof work. If you own, the permit and contractor rules in the next section fall to you.

Permits

Who issues roof permits in University?

No city hall sits behind your address, because this area is unincorporated. Your roof permit comes from the Orange County Division of Building Safety. Applications and inspection requests go through its online Fast Track portal, and the same office applies the Florida Building Code along with county construction regulations.

The 25 percent rule limits how much of a roof can be repaired or replaced in any 12-month period before the whole roof section must be brought up to current code. The exception applies only if that roof was itself built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. A roof from the 1994 era of local building would not qualify on its own.

Florida also requires a Notice of Commencement to be recorded and posted before your first inspection. If you skip it, you may end up paying twice for the improvements. Your county permit also goes invalid if no work begins within 6 months, or if work stops for 6 months.

Any permit you apply for after December 31, 2026 falls under the Ninth Edition of the Florida Building Code. Applications filed before that date use the 2023 edition, in force since December 31, 2023.

Building permits

Orange County Division of Building Safety

Official building page

Office names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.

Local weather

Storms and rain that hit University roofs

Orange County normals show 51.45 inches of rain a year at Orlando International, with 23.20 inches falling from June through August. The same station logs 109.9 days a year at 90 F or hotter. Heat and summer downpours are both hard on shingles and flashing.

In a 10-year storm, 1 hour of rain here falls at 2.94 inches an hour. A 100-year storm drops 10.9 inches in 24 hours. Hurricane Irma brought a 69 knot peak gust at Orlando International in 2017.

The National Weather Service office in Melbourne reports that Florida has more lightning casualties than any other state, and central Florida is its center. After Hurricane Ian, one man died after falling from a ladder while clearing debris from his roof. Hire a contractor for storm cleanup rather than climbing up yourself.

Local record

On record for University

  • 7.1% of housing units are mobile homes.

Services

Roofing services in University

Questions

University roofing questions

What is the 15 year roof rule in Florida?

Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5) bars an insurer from refusing or non-renewing a homeowner's policy solely because a roof is under 15 years old. A roof of 15 years or more is treated differently: the insurer must allow you to pay an authorized inspector for a check. If the report shows 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone cannot be the reason to refuse or non-renew. University's median build year of 1994 suggests many roofs here are past 15 years. Your carrier or agent is the right person to walk you through how this fits your coverage.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?

The Florida Building Code says no more than 25 percent of a roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the whole roof section is replaced or recovered. A roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later gets an exception, and only the repaired portion must meet current code. In University, the Orange County Division of Building Safety issues roof permits and enforces the code.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Who do I call for a roof permit in University, FL?

Contact the Orange County Division of Building Safety, because the area is unincorporated and the county issues the permit. New permit applications and inspection requests go online through the Fast Track portal. Before your first inspection, the Notice of Commencement must be recorded and posted at the job. The permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 6 months of issue, or if work stops for 6 months.

Source: Orange County Division of Building Safety, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Do mobile homes in University follow the same roof code?

Not always. Mobile homes are 7.1 percent of University housing units, compared with 3.1 percent countywide. Manufactured homes follow the federal HUD code, not the Florida Building Code. Before any roof work on a mobile home, confirm with the Orange County Division of Building Safety which standard and permit apply to your home.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

How much rain must University roofs shed in a heavy storm?

NOAA Atlas 14 puts a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 2.94 inches an hour here, and 4.02 inches an hour in a 100-year storm. The 24-hour depth reaches 10.9 inches in a 100-year storm. Orlando International also averages 51.45 inches of rain a year. Flashing, underlayment and drainage details matter as much as the shingles.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.5890, -81.1975), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Nearby

Near University

Orange CountyOur 20 counties

Orange County

More in Orange County

Sources for this page(31)
  1. 1.Share of homes built before 1980: 14.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 20.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, tables B25034/B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Median year homes were built: 1994. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 7.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Single-family detached share of housing units: 35.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 37.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Permit office: Orange County Division of Building Safety. Orange County Division of Building Safety. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  13. 13.Orange County Government, Division of Building Safety. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.Hurricane Irma (2017). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Information Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.Hurricane Ian (2022). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.People (2020 Census): 45,284. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER) (2020 Census count). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.Orange County Division of Building Safety, ocfl.net. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.5890, -81.1975), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.5890, -81.1975), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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